7 minute read
Ambassador of France to Armenia, Olivier Decottignies, delivered remarks at an event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the founding of the French Embassy in Armenia.
In his speech, the Ambassador stressed that France was one of the first countries to recognize Armenia’s independence and one of the first countries to open an embassy in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan.
“Thirty years ago, on November 7, 1995, we raised our flag on this building for the first time. One must imagine what that period was like, which Armenians remember as the ‘dark and cold years.’ Armenia was still bearing the scars of the devastating 1988 earthquake. The country was facing war, and in Yerevan, people were cutting down trees in parks and boulevards and tearing up floorboards to keep warm. Since then, Armenia has come a long way,” the ambassador said, according to a press release by the French Embassy.
The Ambassador said that Yerevan has become a flourishing, innovative, and dynamic capital, the Armenian people have chosen democracy, and now they are looking toward Europe.
“Armenia has diversified its strategic partnerships. The country has found the courage to make peace, a courage no less than the courage to wage war. It carries the mission of once again becoming a crossroads of the region. We have traveled this path together—the French and Armenians. For thirty years, France has always stood by Armenia, in both good and difficult times. Our support for Armenia, as the President of the French Republic has said, is ‘unconditional, absolute, and unwavering.’ These are his words, which serve as our guiding compass. This is the direction in which the embassy team works every day. Over the past thirty years, this embassy has grown significantly. Our team has never been this large. Never before have so many women or young staff joined the ranks of the embassy. Here are the branch of the French Development Agency and the French Office for Immigration and Integration in Yerevan. Also based here is the defense attaché mission, whose establishment marked a turning point in our relations with Armenia,” the ambassador said.
The French ambassador also spoke about the ongoing renovation work at the embassy building, emphasizing that their goal is to provide better conditions for the embassy staff, improve services for their compatriots, and present France more effectively in Armenia.
Ambassador Decottignies expressed gratitude to President Vahagn Khachaturyan for attending the reception dedicated to the 30th anniversary.
“I would like to sincerely thank the President of the Republic of Armenia, who honored our embassy with his visit. It was he who, as Mayor of Yerevan, with the approval of President Ter-Petrosyan, gifted us this building, which was formerly the home of an actor of the Sundukyan Theater. It was a wonderful gift and a beautiful metaphor, as diplomacy is also a form of theater. I would like to honor the memory of architect Alain Daronian, who passed away in 2024 and whom the French government commissioned to transform the actor’s house into an embassy. He was also the person who introduced Armenia to another great French architect, Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who later took responsibility, on behalf of the Yerevan City Hall, for completing the iconic construction of the Cascade complex,” the ambassador added.
The Ambassador thanked the Armenian foreign ministry and Yerevan City Hall for constant support and friendly attitude.
“They have been our faithful partners for thirty years. I would like to thank ARFRATEC, the company created for the renovation of the embassy, which continues to stand by our side. I also extend my gratitude to all our partners present here today. I would like to express my admiration for our first ambassador, Madame France de Hartingh, who laid the foundation for our relations with Armenia during such challenging times—first at the Hrazdan Hotel, then in this embassy. She was an ambassador at a time when women rarely held such positions. She remains an example for all of us.
I would like to particularly acknowledge all the previous ambassadors and all our colleagues—French and Armenian—who have worked and continue to work within these walls: those present here today, those who preceded us, and those who have passed away. In particular, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our local staff. Ambassadors and foreign staff come and go; that is the nature of diplomatic life. Our Armenian colleagues remain—they are our strength and our institutional memory. Our hearts also ache for the memory of Khachatur Saripoghosyan, who left us this year, and Hakob Ghazaryan, who passed away four years ago. They are with us today.
Dear friends, it is said that some houses have a soul. This is also true for embassies. They echo with celebrations, the passage of days, conversations around the coffee machine, the joy of meetings, and the sorrow of farewells. This is your home. You are all welcome here.
Long live the Republic! Long live France! Long live Armenia! And long live the French-Armenian friendship!” concluded the Ambassador of France to Armenia.